[ Graduation Dungeon ] ( Levi & West )

[Smerdle]

Had West been dreaming of uncharted lands and epic powers when they had come for him, he might have been better prepared for what the evening had in store. As it was, he could only muster muddy confusion followed by a burst of irritation as the back of his head struck the first of the steps leading out of the demon dorms and he awoke fully. He tried to sit upright before he had managed to assess the situation further, but the rough canvas sack he was trapped in prevented such broad movements. Not even his bound hands could prevent him from throwing a sharp jab in the approximate direction of one of his abductors, however.

The creature let out a dazed chirp as it fell toward him, its small, unconscious body resting against West's shoulder. He quickly ruled out several of the more sinister reasons he might have been getting kidnapped based on his attacker's size, then he struck again, snickering as his second target went down as easily as his first.

Gnomes. Only gnomes would be stupid enough to tie his hands in the front.

He was a breath away from demanding the conscious ones tell him where they were going when something cold and sharp pricked through the bag and into the scar tissue at his neck. West managed a muttered put down regarding the gnomes' mothers and their deviant sexual practices before he slipped into darkness.

- - -

West awoke for the second time that evening enveloped in silence, still confined within the large sack the gnomes had stuffed him into. Fuzzy-brained and sluggish, he didn't really want to move at all, but eventually curiosity won out and he shimmied free of his unguarded prison, taking a bleary eyed look at his surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was the banner. It was kind of hard to miss.

"Graduation... dungeon?" he muttered, rubbing a knuckle over his eyes as he took a step toward the giant door. West paused, his attention snagged by movement at the corner of his vision. More gnomes. He rushed forward to meet them, but somehow by the time he had closed the short distance between them they were gone, leaving only another large bag with a foot and ear peeking out of it. The ear and foot were very familiar. He crossed his arms.  

[nekoluch]

There were all these tiny tatzelwurms crawling at her back.
When did her kin get so small?

Levi dreamt a dream of a grey sky, a glowing pumpkin high above and kin all around her. She could even feel the tiny forms of her fellow tatzels squirming under her as if carrying her across the grassy fields of back home. Really, when did they get this small? Or am I really really big? Ah, well... Had the ghoul awoken, she too would've been more aware of her sneaky abductors. Instead, she chuckled within the confinement of her burlap sac, tickled by the fingers of gnomes and thrashing about in her sleep as if moving in the dream. That was just a regular night's practice for the ghoul. Her hands were tied with roping, but they'd apparently been unable to grasp the ghoul's feet. Perhaps they gave up after a few mishaps and deemed the one rope adequate; no need for further brain damage.

It wouldn't be until her bottom hit something abruptly that the tatzelwurm came to. Eyes sleepily opening, Levi felt the texture of prickly beneath her and a wave of confusion washed over her. Suspecting the worst, she slowly looked towards the seam of her bag, poking two fingers through a large enough gap and peering through to inspect where she'd (surely) fallen asleep. Or was she still asleep? It wasn't unusual for her to dream about the boil, but this was certainly not the gym…

Are yew Dream West? Or tha'real one? - asked the slightly watery eyeball from within the sac. N' where's yer clothes? Gonna'git'dirty. She was stuck between cognitive thought and the dream she was still somewhat having. If her kin were just here, he was likely just a part of the dream, right? West always had overalls and a straw hat when he was in the fields, so seeing him in his typical attire back home was jarring enough to merit inquiry.

Involuntarily yawning, Levi began to wriggle against the burlap, eager to get back to her feet and to work tending the crops, when a loud rip would finally bring her back to reality.
Graduation Dungeon?
The banner had served its purpose twice this evening.

Getting through the remainder of the bag, Levi finally stood wobbly in front of the demon like a newborn pathling trying to get on its first feet. We're here… yer takin' tha' test? What she'd meant to ask was why are you here for my test? but perhaps it came out better than intended.  

[Smerdle]

"Dream West, hm?" he asked, a lazy grin winning the fight against his frown. "What's he like?" The boil had actually met at least one of his dream incarnations. If Levi was dreaming about him, maybe he didn't want to know. "On second thought, dun tell me." He uncrossed his arms and spread his palms down the front of his shirt. "An' what d'y'mean? I got clothes. Were you dreamin' 'bout... no forget that too. Are you in on whatever this is? Is it some kinda joke?" He'd heard about the test for graduation, he'd even heard it happened at night and there was kidnapping involved, but... hm. He supposed this was it.

"Nah, guess it isn't a joke." The realization brought his grin back tenfold and sent a stab of excitement through his gut. "This's really it." He swallowed. "We're gonna graduate."

The boil fell silent after that, as if he'd reached his monthly quota for speech over the last thirty seconds. He'd told himself what seemed like hundreds of times that this day was coming, that he needed to take his future seriously and ask Levi to be a part of it officially, but he'd always found an excuse not to, a reason to put it off. And now it was too late. Well, not too late exactly.

"Levi...?"

But definitely not the right time.

"I... um... I got somethin' to ask y'later."  

[nekoluch]

Yea. Levi grinned the more she grasped the situation. She'd be the first tatzelwurm of her town to graduate from a city school.

If he was willing to wait it out before speaking, then surely it wasn't as dire as this historical event. Ya'got somethin' ta'say, I'll hear ya after we got this done, boil. First things first, aye?

She would've clearly displayed a look of enthusiasm and eagerness while dwelling on the importance of this examination before relentlessly biting and tugging at the binding of her wrists. Once the rope fell to the ground, she returning her attention to the task at hand again. Looking to the door, the tatzel began to stretch as if doing a minute's worth of a workout routine, ending with her tail stretching out and rolling back up behind her with some bone crackling heard along the way. Letting out a huge sigh, the tatzel placed her hands at her hips, seemingly thinking of what happens next.

ALRIGHT! I'got this. Truthfully, the ghoul had very limited accurate knowledge of what to expect behind the large doors, but as usual, she chalked it up to a battle of a sort. A battle meant she had to physically be prepared in case giant candy canes or something looked to chase her down some lava-filled rock path with West at her heels. Levi stretched her arms behind her head and looked back to the boil. If my passin' means yer passin', we're both passin', ya'hear? I ain't acceptin' nothin' else. No fellars left behind. It was a minuscule morale boost she aimed to pass on to the demon boil. If she was ready, so too was he- her equal. But was it just them? Were they supposed to wait here or something for others to show up? Nah, they would've been here already, the ghoul reasoned. That was how these exams usually worked- save for arriving bound in a sac still half asleep. It was commendable that they'd caught them both off-guard though. It was deemed a clever sort of sneakiness that Levi could appreciate for her final exam at Amityville.

I think it's just yew n' me on'this. M'ready when ya'll are! LET'S GIT 'EM! Who or what was going to get got was unimportant. Levi just knew they'd surely overcome it with blind optimism, body already in a posture as if she was ready to rush the doors at any moment. They'd come this far already and nothing could possibly stop them from graduating.

High hopes.

 

[Smerdle]

"'Course we are," West affirmed. He was still feeling a little groggy, and inconveniently it was more in body than in mind. He touched his neck. Damn gnomes. Joining the ghoul in a stretch helped a little, but mostly it just made him antsy. He'd never been big on preparation. It seemed that the powers that be had determined that being prepared wasn't necessarily a skill he needed to master to call himself an alumnus.

He looked from the door back to Levi, loosening the cross of his arms and dropping them back to his sides. At least her enthusiasm was contagious. Not that he wasn't excited. West forced himself to think of a future without constraint, without money woes or worries over where they would live or what they would do. It all seemed... well... wonderful. Worthy of the grin that had remained on his face through all of his doubtful thoughts.

"I'm ready there... Rocket Tatzel," he said with a chuckle. West crouched at her side, bouncing on his heels as he faced the door.

"On three. One. Two..."  

[nekoluch]

THREE!

The tatzel gunned for the oversized doors, hands outreaching to push at one as soon as her fingertips came into contact with it. However, it wouldn't be until the wrath demon forced the other open as well that they parted and allowed the two students in. Perhaps they knew there were two of them here? An exam for two required two to pass the doorway? Maybe, but it was all pure speculation on the ghoul's part. She'd try to stick with West as best as possible- especially if that was how they were going to progress through this examination.

It was odd; Levi had finished contemplating the doors and why or why not they'd open for her alone, but she hadn't stopped running as if there were more doors to open yet. She felt compelled to keep going forward… faster… faster!!! Her need for speed didn't even make sense until she heard it from behind. In fact, the sound radiated from both sides as well. Bits and pieces of different wails and bellows, croaks and hisses, barks and growls from within the dark. Levi began to remember her tests from mentors Invictus and Noland; this was feeling very similar as if they'd been mashed into one. The tatzel tried to recall her trials from those times; stealth and how to move unseen. If these voices were any indication of the big ones or similar creatures she'd encountered in such dark settings, it was certainly best to find a way of not being tracked. The voices sounded like they were following them no matter how much distance the tatzel gathered they'd ventured.

We gotta find cover! I think they're gainin'!

How could she not be seen? Was there a way of finding cover without, well, finding cover? Nothing but the darkness that enveloped them both could be seen; West but a near silhouetted form. Form. Form! The ghoul felt for the skull pin at her triangular scarf, having somewhat turned it about while running, and yanked at it, throwing the pin West's way so that he'd hopefully catch it.

'ERE! CATCH! N' HOLD ON!

The fully grown tatzelwurm swiped at West with a paw, not holding out for much longer than was needed, urging him to into the fur at her neck. If ya'can't out run 'em- Her sentence trailed off into a hiss, body tensing and trying to account for the extra weight before Levi took off upward in the best mode of transport the tatzel knew- bouncing. It was close enough to simulating flight, but perhaps the difference of appearance and tricky leaping would make them harder to reach should their pursuers come within reach.

They ain't takin' us aliiiive! SSHHSHHSHHSHH~!

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7. Prompt - Run.
You step into the next room. Something urges you further into the room, faster and faster until you start running. The walls melt away. You're being chased. Sneak a glance back. Who are they? Why are they after you? What did you do?

If in a group, this can be either a solo exercise or a group RP. Who fancies a game of cops'n'robbers?

 

[Smerdle]

A surprised laugh burst from the demon as he rushed through the door and followed her into the darkness. West wasn't one to run away from danger unless it was absolutely necessary to do so, but something in this cavernous space was urging him to hurry forward as fast as he could. It was absolutely necessary. All thoughts of why they had come here slipped away. All that was important was the two of them and how quickly they could move.

West didn't hear anyone following behind them at first, not until Levi brought his attention to the fact that there was someone there. Several someones. Knowing that he might have continued running without purpose until he was too exhausted to go on irked the boil, but he stored that extra anger away for later as he struggled to recall what he was doing here. Their exam. Their last test. Voices hissed from the shadows, footsteps pattered at their heels, and West didn't turn around, certain that it would only slow him down if he did.

When she told him to catch, he caught. The boil fumbled with her pin before finally closing his fingers around it. Realizing exactly what he held a moment later didn't prepare him for her paw as it guided him onto her back... very quickly. He would never admit to it after the fact, but he might have yelped. West gripped her fur rather tightly and ducked low, sure that he could save himself just fine if he fell, but still unaccustomed to such a speedy ascent. He laughed again, just as surprised as before, but the sound held a tinge of triumph as well. They wouldn't take them alive, it was true. They could escape anything.

"There!" he said, pointing at the only other thing that was illuminated besides their immediate surroundings. Another door. Mostly sure that they both had to be touching this one to get it open as well, he reached out around her shoulder as they bounced closer and closer, only to have the room melt away around them before they could reach it.

- - -

He awoke to the sound of water softly lapping against the rocks. It was almost soothing after running (or riding) with such furious intent, but West was never really comfortable with being soothed for very long. His eyes blinked open slowly and his immediate reaction was to flee. Water. Water. It was disgusting.

His response confused him, and the boil forced himself to stare at what he could see of the liquid as he tried to puzzle out the source of this blind hatred. He quite liked bathing on a normal day, Jack, he'd even only minded a little when Levi had knocked him off of that damned... Levi.

West hopped to his feet, all four of them, and immediately toppled back to the ground, completely unused to his new center of gravity. It seemed he was also very, very short, which didn't help matters in the slightest.

"What the crap is goin' on?" he muttered, his stiff muzzle mangling his words. The boil looked down. All right. His feet were on fire. That was actually kind of cool. Fighting the urge to flee that every ounce of FEAR in his body seemed to be broadcasting, West leaned over the side of the pond, catching his reflection in the wavering water. Great. He was a minipet. And not just any minipet. He was a phoenix scareon, just like Master.

"How in the hell're we meant t'get outta this?" he asked himself, clumsily sitting back on his hind legs.

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9. Prompt - Another's Eyes
The room melts away. You are now a minipet. What kind are you? Are you in Halloween or in the Minipet Closet? Or are you unlucky enough to be transformed into a minipet and in the Life Labs on Deus Ex?

If in a group, prp romping around as a minipet. Alternatively, one of your group members has now been turned into a minipet. What do you do and what kind of incriminating, embarrassing photographs do you take with your skellyphone?

 

[nekoluch]

Levi couldn't feel her own fur once they passed through the new doorway; that was the first thing she noticed. The next was that she couldn't feel West's weight anymore. In an attempt to swivel around, the ghoul found that there was an odd swishy sound- and no wrath demon to be seen behind her. Beneath her? Where exactly was she? Opening her mouth would only produce bubbles when the tatzel tried to call out to locate the boil.

Bubbles. Bubbles mean water. I'm in water right now!

As soon as she established this, Levi looked for light; any light. There had to be some sign of which way the surface was and, sure enough, a foggy, rippled mess of oranges and yellows sat just above what she defined as being the water's level. This beacon would be were she swam towards, which proved to feel much easier than as if she were usually swimming in her full tatzelwurm form. Fur usually made her feel heavy in water. What gives? Her swimming method wasn't too far off from her serpentine way of slithering through the liquid, but it was like she was still flying or something. Her body was sleek against the water which was comparable to when she was going through a jump transition. This isn't right. Something's changed. Her urgency to get to the surface quickened when she realized that she didn't feel any air puffing up her body- was she going to drown?!

Whatever the change was, it would take a backseat to her priority now, which was to get to that rippling light above the surface before she ran out of air. Swishing her way upward, the tatzel would break through the barrier of air and water with a giant gaping mouth, trying to breathe.

AAAAAAAAIIIIIIRRR!!!
It sounded more like a screeching chirp.

Once she'd settled on the water's surface, floating unusually easily, Levi established a few new things. One- it was blindingly BRIGHT compared to the water's depths. She had to squint to keep from diving back below instinctually. Second- the beacon of light she saw was coming from fire, or rather, a firey scareon. Master? When'dija git so big, ghoulie, huh? Levi attempted to reach out a hand to pet the scareon, but instead she found a fin outreached in from of her, colors reminiscent of her kin. This was the body of a candy corn floresce. Levi had come to be her own edible delight in the flesh.

Unholy hoppin' heckle I'mma fish!!! The next second would be spent turning around and viewing herself. Yup. Floresce. Didn't she once feed Master floresce?…

The floresce's eyes went wide again, staring at the scareon's flaming body which was enough to dry her skin as it was. Making another chirping sound, the ghoul instinctually did a backflip back under the water's surface, water escaping off her scales in a trickling spray as she did so. It was enough distance to provide a feeling of safety between her and the scareon, but still enough for her to see "Master" and watch for any unwarranted attacks.  

[Smerdle]

It was probably a good thing that he was so clumsy in this form because West's first instinct upon seeing the fish was to pounce. He rolled forward onto his stomach and used his back feet to slide-lunge toward where the floresce had been a moment before, his paw arcing through the air instead of raking through delicious, tender flesh...

Caught between his desire to catch the fish and his current aversion to water, the boil-turned-minipet sat back once more, running the past several minutes over in his head as he searched for a way out of this place and a way to find Levi, since they had clearly gotten separated. Something else had happened since he'd arrived here that he was sure was a vitally important part of figuring this all out, but it took him a while to locate the key piece of information in his tinier, one-track brain. He stared into the water, eyes narrowed, until he saw a flash of the floresce's shiny scales just under the water.

Those colors... He might have dismissed them as a coincidence if he wasn't also fairly certain that the thing had spoke at some point.

"Levi?"

If it really was the tatzel, not only had he very seriously considered murdering her, but she was also a jackdamn fish and that was pretty jackdamn funny.

"Issat you? 'Cause if so, I'm sorry I tried t'slice ya up. You look pretty delicious, an' I'm not even sayin' that inna..." He sighed deep in his chest, and the growl that accompanied it was a great deal more animalistic than he could usually manage with his more human vocal cords. It was also adorable. "Seri'sly though. What's this meant t'teach us 'bout livin' outside a'school?" West flared his wings, sending a shower of sparks fanning out over the water.

"Y'see any way out... under there?" This form shouted at him to stay far away from the pond, but the boil inside was determined to override those feelings as best as he could. If it meant getting out of this embarrassing pit, he would jump in a thousand ponds.  

[nekoluch]

It wasn't Master- this was West's voice and manner of speech. She was quite certain Master wouldn't share those with her boil. The phoenix scareon was far too refined for that. Levi's mind cleared a bit out of the foggy fight or flight response
Yea, it's me. That's you… Aye! NO eatin' me- It would be now that the ghoul realized she'd been under water still speaking and was taking in water as she did so. She was a fish; she could breathe under water.
The floresce slowly emerged again, feathery ear fins standing up to best hear whatever the fluffy version of West was trying to say and in turn allow herself to be better heard without the interference of bubbles exiting her mouth.

Though every so often, she chittered in amusement and tried to muffle it while staring at the boil. Looking him up and down, Levi could wager he was having an absolute ball being in this form. West loved most furry critters, after all, so surely he'd enjoy being one; she chittered again. I'm guessin' I'can't take ya home n' give yew a lil' necktie n' call ya ma'lil'Wrathipoo, huh? A dang shame. How unfortunate she was to not be in her student form right now, petting the cuddly demon scareon. He and Sweets could fit right on her pillow with her while she slept; they'd be best pals, right? That would be enough humor at the boil's expense, though, since they had bigger fish things to fry. Hmm… maybe 'bout livin anywhere that fits? Sure there's a reason.

Sure thing, I can check down below. Maybe ya'll could have a look 'round tha'water n see if ya'find any sorta holes 'er doors neither? We'll meet back 'ere, alright? Waiting for confirmation of this plan, Levi moved to backflip back under the water, but she stopped herself for one last word or two. N' West? … I like yer fluffy lil'paws. More chittering followed as the fluoresce flipped back into the depths and began the search for anything that could be deemed a passible doorway for them to get through.

For a pond, there wasn't much other distinguishable life. Various fish floated about, causing the ghoul to question her own sanity as she watched them deliciously pass by but nothing profound. Weeds and goop lined the muddy floor of the pond, making it difficult to-

Ah-ha! There!

The shine of the clam's inner shell caught the ghoul's eyes and led her to see what was sitting just within the opening of its mouth. Something unexpected, but large enough, she wagered, that they could pass through it one at a time with both of the tiny doors opened. The pearlescent shimmer of the clam's insides and the doors themselves would be enough to distinguish against the dark backdrop of the rest of the floor when she came back down with West. She just hoped the clam stayed open long enough for them to make their escape.

Hurrying back towards the surface, Levi broke through the water again and looked around for the scareon to tell him the news.

There's a door, but it's all the way down ta tha'bottom. In'a clam. Reckon it'll take us through one-by-one at least. How long ya'think yew can hold yer breath?  

[Smerdle]

Even if there were many things he couldn't accomplish while stuck in this form, West remained quite capable of rolling his eyes. He showed Levi just how adept he was at it when she threatened him with neckties and demeaning nicknames, adding a long-suffering sigh for dramatic effect. At least she made a decent point about the reasoning behind all of this, though he still remained largely unconvinced. Maybe they were being filmed for blackmailing purposes. He secretly thought it would make a lot more sense.

When she suggested they split up he was inclined to agree, at least until she distracted him by starting in on his paws. "Ha, ha, very funny," he muttered, getting back to his feet. Had he been able to easily give her the finger with those fuzzy little paws, he might have done so, but he knew laboring through an attempt would just slow them down. It was time to explore.

West didn't venture very far at first, halfheartedly examining the pebbles and dirt on the pond's shore. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but he doubted it was up here. Everything nearby seemed entirely mundane—no sparkles, no giant spotlights, no glittering arrows pointing to their next destination. Nothing. He tried the trees next, wondering if he might climb them with less effort now that the had claws. Surely he could fly up there if he just...

The boil flapped his wings, finding it exponentially more difficult to gain height when the appendages were actually attached to his body. He rose off of the ground and slowly winged his way toward the tree, peering between its branches until his smoldering feathers clipped a cluster of leaves and set them alight. West's balance faltered and he tumbled from the sky, landing back on the edge of the pond as Levi resurfaced.

"It's not th' breath holdin' that'll be the problem," he grumbled, casting a wary glance up at the burning tree as he pushed himself back into a seated position. "It's the swimmin' itself. An' I dunno what water'll do to th' fur." Said fur bristled for a second, making him look like a flaming poofball. "We gotta go though. I kinda..." He looked up again. The fire was spreading.

With a backward scoot and a running leap he was in the water, his fur suddenly nothing more than awkwardly plastered down orange and yellow hair. He groaned faintly in disgust as he sliced continuously at the water to keep himself afloat.

"'Kay. Lead the way."  

[nekoluch]

Alright, just yew keep 'em pouncers to yerself, ya'hear? Don't be fishin' me. If a floresce had the capability to squint with a wrinkled muzzle, this was it. C'mon! Let's go! A moment later, the tatzel-turned-fish was swimming below the surface again. Trying to keep a decent enough pace for west to keep up with her, Levi's eyes darted around the pond's floor to scour for the pearly shine of the clam that contained their escape route- hopefully before the scareon lost what air he held.

Lady luck was on their side, it seemed. The clam's mouth was still open as they came upon it along the clouded muddy terrain, behind the nests of long weeds. The floresce paused in front of the clam, just outside it's mouth's parameter to point a fin towards the doors within, looking to West so he'd understand. We have to get in there. Fanning her fin rapidly, she further explained. You first. It was an oversized clam, but that didn't make the doors nearly as big as the last ones they'd gone through; not by a long shot. Levi peered around, looking for something sturdy. What she found was a piece of driftwood, small enough to drag with West's help. Biting onto one end, she pulled as best at her mini floresce body could, flailing about the water to try and shove the wood partially into the clams mouth to act as a precaution should it decide to close up after one of them had gone through. Once satisfied, she went for one of the small doors, aiming to open but not yet pass through. Levi waited till West wedged himself into the doorway first.

It wouldn't take long once the wrath scareon had gotten halfway through that the floresce's fin feathers ruffled to some disturbing vibrations in the water. Crackling. The clam saw fit to seize the opportunity of two morsels swimming into it's trap, it seemed. The branch fought against the slow crushing pressure of it's shells, but Levi took this as a sign to get out and get out now. She butted her head against the scareon's furry tail frantically, trying to help push West through lest she somehow be trapped in this clam forever as a fish. Somewhere in Halloweentown a pile of fishbones were laughing at her, she was sure of it.

- - -

A final shove would send both minis toppling through the threshold, water gushing into the opening after them but dissipating almost immediately as it fell towards an undefined white floor. In fact, everything in this room looked to be white. No walls, no floor, no light and no shadow to be seen. What sorta room-? Looking back at the miniature door they'd passed through would yield nothing but more whiteness. The tatzel opened her mouth to address West again but first had to take note of the obvious; he was him. The wrath demon boil looked dry despite just being underwater and his clothes… he was wearing one of his usual outfit rather than the t-shirt and pants he'd worn for bed/this exam.

She felt dry too. Rubbing her arms, Levi smiled at her familiar figure returning to her, skull-pin back in her possession and not a single fishy smell to note. The ghoul then offered her smile up to West once he'd gathered himself. The ghoul brushed at one of his sleeves with her fingertips before cupping his chin and then letting the hand fall to her side. Good ta'see yew in one piece, boil. No, really; Levi felt a sense of contentment when she looked at the boil, satisfied with his every being right now as if that were somehow being called into question. She sighed audibly, thanking Jack he existed before noting that there was indeed another pair of doors off to one undefined side of the white space. Huh. Well, that was easy. Too easy? Indeed, it was perplexing to believe there was nothing else here for her to see.

Don't look like there's much else here. Levi placed her hands at her hips, brow slightly furrowed in thought over the enigma of their current room.

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5. Prompt - Everything You Ever Wanted
You step into a room. It's a bare, plain room. By the time you reach the middle it warps and shifts, and you are left facing your greatest desire. What is it and how do you deal with it?

If in a group, this can be either a solo exercise or an exercise in group embarrassment as your greatest desire is shown off to everyone in the party.

 

[Smerdle]

He watched her go for half a minute or so, unable to even think about completely submerging himself, let alone do it. It was only after he lost sight of her that the faintest twinge of panic rose in his chest, finally coaxing him to take the deepest breath he could and swim after her. He almost told her to slow down, only stopping himself because he knew the act would end in drowning. It was a thoroughly undignified way to dissipate, especially when you were cute and fuzzy.

His air supply was still faring well when they got to the clam, but it wasn't long before he felt the sharp pinch of adrenaline in his stomach that indicated he would need to breathe sooner rather than later. West scrabbled for the driftwood Levi was trying to maneuver, helping her prop open the clam before poking his head inside and through the door. The water ended just past the frame for now, the room beyond an empty void. Cool, refreshing air greeted his lungs as he sucked in a relieved breath. Once he had shoved his arms through though, he realized there was a problem. Wings. Stupid wings.

Now that he could breathe again, West didn't bother showing any restraint. He struggled wildly in his attempt to pull himself into the next room, increasing his efforts when he felt Levi... assisting him. Had something gone wrong? Was she just trying to tell him he had a fat a**? With one final push of his elbows and a bit of dungeon magic, he was through, a gush of water trailing behind them both.

West regained his footing in a matter of seconds, forcing himself to stand even though his legs were shaky, already accustomed to the stability that four of them gave him even after such a short time. What they had experienced so far had been fairly innocuous, but that had the potential to change in the space of a heartbeat. He had to remain alert. Ready for anything. Or... nothing.

The room they had landed in could hardly be called a room at all. It had no walls or ceiling; he wouldn't have believed it had a floor had he not felt it, firm beneath his feet. The only satisfying thing about the place was that whatever power had created it had seen fit to return him to his actual body and dry him off. Well, there was one other satisfying thing about it, of course. Who he shared it with.

He turned at the sound of her voice, watching intently as she examined their surroundings. She appeared no different than she had when they'd arrived here tonight, but he felt an overwhelming urgency when he looked at her now, an all-encompassing sense of attachment that might have made him uncomfortable had it been directed at anything... anyone... else. The faintest of peaceful smiles graced his lips when she touched him, an expression so out of place that it probably would have indicated something was horribly wrong had it lingered for longer than it did. As it was, it disappeared quickly, right after he murmured, "You too," and felt the distracting pull of her presence diminish. They had to move on, and the most obvious way to go was through that door. It was the only way to go, and that made it suspicious.

"Yeah, I dun like it. There should be somethin' here. Or we should be turnin' into somethin' at least." He didn't relish the idea of becoming a minipet again, but this place wouldn't do that twice, right? "I guess we should try goin' through anyway."

Checking to make sure Levi was at his side, West crossed to the exit and pushed at the doors. The room he peeked into was dim already, a condition that wasn't helped by the mist that plagued the area. He heard a clanking. There was something moving beyond the light.

"Ready?"

Quote:

You enter a circular room. A fine, clean mist covers the ground. The clatter of steel and iron can be heard as a large figure emerges from the mist. Some may be jolted with recognition. Others may marvel at how large and foreboding the figure is.

The large, Green Knight plants itself in your way. Beyond it you can see something glimmering, something you want really badly: your diploma.

A large, shadowy javelin suddenly appears between your feet as you try to step forward.

"HALT. YOU SHALL NOT PASS."

Of course it was going to end with a fight. You ready yourself and prepare for combat!

 

[nekoluch]

Well, somethin' less smelly would be'ppreciated this time 'round. Scoffing at the joke of being made into something else yet again, Levi did truthfully not want to be anything she considered tasty for a second time. There was something very troubling about considering yourself a delectable meal. It just wasn't right.

Nodding to West and opening the doors in unison, the ghoul peered within their next room to see- not much of anything. It was dark and without any defining features until the doors closed behind them and the parameters of the room began to make themselves known. It was a very large rounded room from what she could see. The floor itself was carpeted by a thin veil of mist unlike previous mists that had caused them commotion. It was too thin to really hide anything that might've been lurking on it's own, not high enough to be a threat of toxicity if that were its goal. If anything, it was the sheer darkness of the room that caused Levi's ears to stand straight in attention. Or was it that tinkering sound?
Yew hear that?
Levi felt a need to whisper as if trying to stay incognito to whatever was making the sound. Each clank resulted in a twitch from her left ear, her indication that whatever it was, it was coming closer to their position.

IT knew they were there; Levi saw no need for whispering anymore when she answered the wrath demon. Ready like'a sizzlin' steak, boil. West could sense the threat of attack as well, it seemed. The ghoul instinctively took a crouch posture to prepare for any need to jump out of the way, squinting to make out the details of the figure till it became fully visible.
It was some sort of knight; a big creature with metallic garments. The knight warned them that they wouldn't be going anywhere further.

Tch- We'll see 'bout that! Hissing through her teeth, Levi growled out the response as if smiling at the same time. Not passing? Oh, they'd be passing this test, alright. The knight was big, but the bigger critters were…

Out of the corner of her eye, Levi caught a glimpse of what the knight hid behind it's position further into the room: their diplomas. This was truly the end of the line. To defeat this knight in battle meant graduating first of her town in this big city school and getting to tell her Ma and Pa she'd finally done it.

There was a moment of emptiness when Levi thought about this being the end of her educational journey, but that thought would be cut short by the impending doom of the knight's javelin aiming square between her and West. The figure rushed the two students, jamming the end of it's weapon into the ground. It hit straight and true with a mighty cracking in the floor beneath them developing from the strike; a warning blow to test their nerve. Levi bounced aside to avoid it, looking to the knight to survey any possible weaknesses. It looked to hit hard, that was for sure, but how did it fair in recovery time? Only one way to find out- Now!  

[Smerdle]

The source of the clanking made itself known soon enough, but West only had eyes for the pair of diplomas sitting beyond the knight. When he had arrived at Amityville, he had been running from the life he'd had then. It was... nice to be happy with how things had turned out, to have something to run to—

Had he been permitted to choose the way in which he would begin the last fight of his student career, getting knocked off of his feet by the shockwave from a giant javelin would not have figured into the equation. The demon wobbled as Levi dodged, finally turning his attention away from the diplomas out of necessity. He landed on the ground with a grunt, and although he was upright again quickly enough, it took several seconds longer than it had in the previous room. West muttered something condescending under his breath as he brushed off his clothing and glared at their armored enemy.

Damage: zero
HP: 40/50
Hits: 0/3